... didn’t cater to the Japanese style of sugary restraint (but we were fine with that.)

Asian American Recovery Services is dedicated to helping their community fight substance abuse and were raising funds by selling strawberry shortcakes for a mere $3.

We ponied up our dough and hid our horror as big tubs of commercially sliced, thawed, fruit and cans of whipped cream emerged to produce what must be one of their programs-in-a-bowl. Any tendencies that we may have had towards food addiction were cured in one, low cost step. We applaud their cause, but their cuisine needs rehab.

Cosplayers:

... brought their J game to this summit of art, food, music and retail. We’ll have to return and actually make it through the doors next time...

Thin crusted, beautifully blistered pizzas were top notch. The market mushroom with Gruyere, thyme and roasted onions and the figs with blue cheese, arugula and prosciutto:

... were seriously impressive.

The pricing is in tune with the times with appetizers at $5-14, salads $5-7, pizzas $11-15 and entrees $11-16 which is incredibly affordable given the high quality ingredients utilized by masterful Chef Adam Timney:

We’ll definitely shoot back for a sit down meal at this friendly center of Castro-nomy.

N. was visiting from out of town so we took her on a bay ferry ride and gave her a tour of the Ferry Building before dinner at Contigo.

We passed globes of glowing eggplant and loaves of enticing Firebrand bread which lined the open kitchen as we made our way to a table. Those wood oven baked loaves were toasted and topped with tomato for the pa amb tomaquet ($4.00 for two):

... which were a true expression of tomato on this open faced sandwich topped with extra virgin olive oil.

Cucumbers ($7.00):

... with wild fennel, red torpedo onions, and cherry tomatoes were a stack of sensational slices of summer.

... fresh from Iacopi in Half Moon Bay paved the way for some oxtail croquetas ($8.00):

... and pork belly bocadillo ($8.00):

... which were so good on previous visits that we couldn’t pass them up. The little potato chips complemented the pig-cled onion sandwich.

Benenjenas fritas ($8.00):

... were batons of the rosa bianca eggplant (that called to us from the display case) treated to a tempera-like battering and frying with a pool of salsa brava adding a sweet acidity of this tomato sauce to the eggsemplary aubergine.

We were nutty for the fruity scoops of peach and pistachio ice creams and plum sorbet ($8.00):

... as well as the Blue Bottle coffee ice cream ($8.00):

... infused with a perky portion of grounds (for divorcing ourselves from moderation.) A cardamom chocolate cookie added a crunchy bit to this cow and calf-ination combo.

We got carried away with dessert since passing up the churros with chocolate ($8.00):

... would require a restraint that we cannot condone. These hot, sugar-rolled dough sticks can’t be beat especially when dunked in the alchemizing chocolate caliente.

We caught a return ferry that broke down in the middle of the bay turning our brief excursion into a Gilligany three hour tour ending with passengers shuffling off the ship:

... looking like they took an overnight flight while others decided it was an opportunity to take advantage of the shipboard bar until they were less than shipshape.

Although the professor was no where to be seen, the ferry bosses met us at the dock to apologize for the lack of professional-pulsion (which I thought was a nice gesture, especially since it was probably the last thing they felt like doing after midnight.)

The past Family Winemakers of Californiaevents have provided great opportunities to sample some sensational sips and catch up with the loca-pour action. A great opportunity to speak with these winemakers about their grapey goods.

... fell off the bone after their long braise with coffee and cardamom. These maple sweetened meat sticks sat on a field of delectable green lentils cooked with carrots and onions which received peppery punch from a 2006 M. Cosentino Pinot Noir.

A creme brulée:

... and a chocolate cake with mixed berries ($6.00 each):

... and a glass of Dow Tawny Port capped off our evening of comfort food at this friendly neighborhood spot.

There is an inviting patio garden in back for weekend brunchers but the dining room is the place to enjoy a chilly San Francisco summer evening.

The pen was locked by the time we got to the Ferry Building today so we couldn’t pick up a bar, but instigators of irritating oration should look forward to some high falutin’ irrigation with these pig pucks.

There was definitely a “show” at Show Dogs today when an enthusiastic, underfunded, personality used his powers of volume to try to get a better deal on wieners at this Market Street vendor. He eventually quit this dogged attempt but we wondered if they get a lot of this due to their location.

We placed our order at the counter and sipped a couple pints of Speakeasy Prohibition Ale and Lagunitas IPA from their selection of local drafts during our short wait for our chow.

The spicy whole hog ($5.00):

... with apple and horseradish sauce had a blanket of grilled onions tucking in this breakfast sausage textured tube of tasty Georgian pig.

There was a nice caliente kick to the Louisiana hot link ($6.25):

... with house made relish and mustard.

Grilled peppers and onions capped the Andouille ($6.75):

... along with house made mustard and a tangle of arugula. They made a note that this was organic, but when I eat a hot dog that’s the last thing I care about.

The fries ($3.75) were short spud stumps rather than laces, and although good, the winner were the onion rings ($4.00):

... which were crisp, sweet, brown collars for our tasty dogs.

Their sausages are sourced from some of our favorite casing crammers like Fatted Calf, Ryan Farr and Golden Gate Meats which they daugment with care. It’s a good place to grab a bite and take in the parade of humanity in front of the theaters.

4505, Boccalone, and Fatted Calf are among the fine swine on which to dine. A donation of a buck at the door goes to the Chefs Collaborative, a fiver for each tube steak a three dollars for Magnolia beer - suuuueeeet.

Chef Bruce Hill has these deadly delicious nightshades on the current menu at Picco.

Chef Lauren Kiino:

... told us about her upcoming happy hour that they are planning at Il Cane Rosso. Little Italian appetizers and wine (yes, they now have a license) by the glass or litre. The happiness should start in a couple of weeks, but we got a preview with her Sol Food chicken liver pate with pickled eggs, agretti, port, white wine, cognac and bacon fat on a crunchy crouton. Based on this offal oval, early evening snacks and a carafe of wine by the bay sound like required eating.

We ran into the Cosentino tribe who gave us an update on the long awaited Boccalone soap - it’s now cured and for sale at the Ferry Building salumeria! Even fat-o-phobes wont say no to zero calorie, minty winged pigs positioned as a pork product for the loo rather than the larder.

Ladies got off easy with sundresses:

... to go with margaritas:

... during this hot SF afternoon while the Mayor and other style conscious SF men kept the ties and jackets in place aided by local brewers to provide sudsy cooling agents.

San Francisco’s food ethos was captured during this afternoon of hobnobbing, snacking and sipping on some wonderful cocktails and wines.